Category Archives: Horse Racing

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Horse Racing, Racing

Grand National 2024: Assessing the Leading Contenders at Aintree

Photo: Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7446990

The Grand National at Aintree Racecourse is one of the highlights of the sporting year, providing fans with one of most thrilling spectacles on the planet.

This year’s event is scheduled to be staged on Saturday, April 13, and will once again generate massive interest in global gambling industry.

Punters often strive to build up their bankroll ahead of the big race at Aintree by wagering on other major sports events and popular casino games.

There is every chance that bettors will try their luck on blackjack on PowerPlay before the Grand National in a bid to win more money to play with on the big race.

Picking the winner of the long-distance steeplechase is no easy task, and punters who achieve the feat undoubtedly deserve to give themselves a pat on the back.

With that in mind, we have scoured the 2024 Grand National entries to pick out some of the leading contenders for victory this year.

Corach Rambler

Although the 2023 Grand National winner has been well-backed to add another victory to his CV, he will have another 13lbs to carry this time around.

Corach Rambler ran a fine race on his most recent outing, finishing third behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and he should be firmly in the mix at Aintree.

However, the additional weight makes things much more difficult and it would be no surprise to see another horse triumph in this year’s race.

Vanillier

Vanillier came from a long way back to finish second in the National 2023 and is just 4lbs higher this year. That 9lb swing in the weights could be crucial against Corach Rambler.

However, the nine-year-old was disappointing in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last month, finishing a long way behind I Am Maximus.

A record of three wins in 21 career starts is another negative, and that slight increase in the weights could be enough to scupper his chances of victory.

I Am Maximus

The aforementioned I Am Maximus appeals as the value bet in the Grand National and he may well give top Irish trainer Willie Mullins another big race winner.

The horse broke his duck over fences in last year’s Irish Grand National, prompting talk from Mullins that he would be aimed at the Aintree showpiece in 2024.

I Am Maximus has won two graded chases this season and could be well treated with just 11st 2lbs to carry in the Grand National.

Panda Boy

Panda Boy ticks plenty of ‘key trends’ boxes in the Grand National, and has been well-backed by punters since being allocated 10st 3lbs in the race.

However, while the eight-year-old has run a couple of eye-catching trials this season, he finished seven-and-three-quarter-lengths behind I Am Maximus in the 2023 Irish Grand National.

A 4lbs weight pull is useful for the Martin Brassil-trained horse, but is unlikely to be enough to turn the tables on his Fairyhouse conqueror.

Mahler Mission

Mahler Mission will bid to defy recent statistics by coming the first horse in the 21st century to win the Grand National without a prep run in the same year.

Trainer John McConnell has opted to keep his powder dry with the eight-year-old, who finished runner-up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in early December.

The horse was unlucky not to win the National Hunt Challenge Cup at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, and could run his rivals ragged if allowed an easy lead in front.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Horse Racing, Racing

Kevin Doyle – From Footballer to Racehorse Breeder

By Noah Salzman – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126534018

Former Reading striker turned racehorse breeder Kevin Doyle compares Willie Mullins’ dominance to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Doyle has a new passion in life – breeding racehorses and his love for the sport has taken off since leaving football.

The 40-year-old revealed in an interview with BoyleSports how his life has changed and has compared the dominance of Willie Mullins in jump racing to that of Sir Alex Ferguson to Manchester United.

Willie Mullins is currently the 1/16 favourite to be this year’s top trainer, according to the latest Cheltenham odds via the bookmaker – demonstrating his superiority in the sport.

Doyle said: “I think in every sport you have dominance, whether it’s in football with Man City and, before that, Manchester United were dominant for how many years.

“For most of my childhood as a Man United fan, we were winning everything, you know, one man started leading it all in Sir Alex Ferguson.

“It just goes like that; I think it doesn’t last forever. Willie at the moment has an unbelievable setup and a team around them of people as well.”

Though Doyle is a big fan of the Irish magician’s way to train winners, he doesn’t think Willie’s dominance will last for a lifetime.

He added: “Dominance just happens in sports; it will be cyclical, it might last another 10 or 15 years, and it might annoy a lot of people, but things don’t last forever.

“But it’s just human nature; it won’t last forever. He’s got the hunger and the desire to make sure to try and prove every year and get better and better and try and make it last as long as possible.”

Doyle has also revealed how football teams can use a trip to next week’s Cheltenham Festival for team bonding, with mixed success.

The ex-Reading and Wolves striker said: “My first year at Reading in 2005/06 was my first trip to Cheltenham; we were going very well at the time. We were basically promoted to the Premier League and it was the day out to celebrate.

“It was only three days at the time, Cheltenham, from what I remember, and we have gone many years since, with Reading and different clubs.

“When things are going well, we used to go with a day out for team bonding, and when things were going poorly, it was an excuse to go to the manager and say maybe we need a day away to get a bit of team bonding to try turn the ship around, but that never seemed to usually work!”

Doyle has entered the world of horse breeding, a rarely trodden path for former footballers and has bred a number of horses, including Baby Kate for Willie Mullins. Doyle revealed how his early years as a player for Reading and Ireland set him on a path to the racing industry.

He said: “Yeah, we had plenty of players over the years with that Reading team. Plenty of lads interested.

“Stephen Hunt was one of them and has had shares and horses and syndicates, I think over the years. Shane Long was another one thinking of the Irish lads, Noel Hunt as well. We all had a dog together with the assistant manager Wally Downes which won the Puppy Derby. Bush Paddy it was called.

“With the Ireland team as well, we’ll be home with Ireland and John O’Shea was a big one to set up syndicates with the Ireland team and get a few of us involved over the years with different horses.

“With Ireland, maybe we’d get an afternoon off and we’d go to Leopardstown or the Curragh together.”

Ferguson’s main chance of a big win at next week’s Cheltenham Festival will be with either Protektorat 16/1 or Hitman 25/1 in the £375,000 Ryanair Chase.

Meanwhile, Redknapp will be hoping that his charge, Shakem Up’Arry, can win from odds of 20/1 in the Ultima Handicap Chase. British and Irish trainers will go head-to-head at the Festival, competing for the Prestbury Cup, with former Irish international Doyle revealing fond memories of trips to the Festival.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Horse Racing, Racing

Winning the Gold Cup Would Be Life-Changing

By Carine06 from UK – Champion Hurdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37285214

“Winning the Gold Cup would be life-changing” – Irish trainer Shark Hanlon shares his love for £800 horse Hewick with the chance of a Cheltenham and Grand National double.

John “Shark” Hanlon has admitted it would be heartbreaking if Hewick were not able to run because of the ground conditions at Cheltenham – but insisted if his fan favourite horse won the Gold Cup, then it would be life changing for the trainer.

Hewick was a sensational winner of the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day last year, adding to successes in the bet365 Gold Cup, Galway Plate and American Grand National before reaching a career pinnacle at Kempton.

Hewick and newly-named BoyleSports ambassador Hanlon are all set to travel over to Cheltenham next week for the prestigious four-day Cheltenham Festival with Hewick a 14/1 shot, according to the latest Cheltenham Gold Cup odds from the bookmaker.

The trainer has said it would be a career-defining moment were his bargain £800 win one of the biggest prizes in racing.

“The most important thing is that the rain stops and we get good ground,” Hanlon said.

“If we don’t get good ground, we are not going to run the horse. That would be heartbreaking because we are going to a Gold Cup with a real chance. We want the sun to come out, the breeze to blow, and we want good ground on the day.

“Hewick has taken us all over the world. We were in France, went to America and will go back, maybe go to Australia later in the year.

“For us to have a horse to win the King George was a big, big day, for me, my family, and for all the staff in the yard. And also for Ireland. It gave the whole of Ireland a lift.

“I wouldn’t say that it has been life changing but it has been a big help. The Gold Cup though would be life changing and we will go for the Grand National after that. We just have to keep our fingers crossed. To win a Gold Cup which we all grow up dreaming about would be utterly amazing for a small yard like me.”

Hanlon is going up against the big boys once again in the shape of the powerhouse yards of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott from Ireland, as well as Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson in Britain.

Mullins and Elliott in particular have dominated Cheltenham in previous years and that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

“It is impossible to take on those super yards in Ireland,” Hanlon added.

“We are working with handicap horses because we can’t get graded horses. We can’t afford to buy the graded horses. That is the big thing. Gordon has Gigginstown and three or four other very good customers.  Willie has them everywhere. I just hope one of them might come to me!”

BoyleSports announced it is teaming up with John ‘Shark’ Hanlon as his Official Stable Partner and will be closely following Hewick’s journey to Prestbury Park. If Hewick is successful in his bid for the Gold Cup, BoyleSports will donate €100,000 to the Irish Injured Jockeys (IIJ) and the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) in the UK.

Horse Racing

AQHA Racing to Begin Microchip Identification

The American Quarter Horse Association will begin the transition to microchips in place of lip tattoos to identify racing American Quarter Horses effective January 1, 2024.

Any horse that was not previously tattooed as of January 1, 2024, will have their microchip number scanned and used as part of the identification verification done by an approved AQHA-contracted identifier. Horses who were identified by tattoo before January 1, 2024, shall be allowed to continue to utilize their tattoo as a means of identification.

The microchip must be ISO compliant. This means the microchip must operate at a radio frequency of 134.2 kHz and contain 15 digits.

Read Microchipping FAQs.

AQHA is currently in the process of building an application to be used by our Identifiers named QHChip, and training will be provided to them soon.

Once a horse is microchipped and inspected by an official identifier, the information will be available on the identification platforms, both in InCompass Solutions and the QHChip app.

Read More.

Horse Racing, Kentucky Horse Park, Training/Clinics

Meet Thoroughbred Trainers Jena Antonucci and Katie Miranda at EquineEd

Saturday, September 16

On June 10, Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race by winning the Belmont Stakes with Archangelo. 10 weeks later, she showed the world it was no fluke by winning the $1.25 million Travers Stakes.

Join Thoroughbred trainers Jena Antonucci and Katie Miranda at the Kentucky Horse Park for our September EquineEd lecture series. Jena and Katie are co-owners of horseOlogy, a full-cycle thoroughbred training and ownership organization based in Ocala, Florida that handles everything related to thoroughbred breeding, training, and racing.

EquineEd is a FREE event. Mark your calendar for this Saturday, September 16, 12 p.m. at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions barn. Please enter through the KHP Visitor Center.

Don’t miss EquineEd: A First Saturday Lecture Series!

September 16: Jena Antonucci & Katie Miranda
Thoroughbred Trainers

October 7: Erin O’Keefe
Retired Racehorse Project

November 4: Shelby Hume
Dressage Naturally Instructor

December 2: Museum Round Table featuring:
International Museum of the Horse
American Saddlebred Museum
Keeneland Association
Kentucky Derby Museum

To learn more, visit www.kyhorsepark.com.

*Featured/Spotlights, Horse Racing

Shadwell Impresses in the UK, but Are Denting the US Racing Market

Belmont Stakes, 10 June 2006, winner Jazil, from the Shadwell stables. Photo by Naoki Nakashima – Flickr: Jazil, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15492695.

United States based horse racing fans will be keeping a keen eye on the Shadwell group’s success over in the British horse racing market.

Following the passing of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum back in March 2021, racing fans across the world wondered what would happen to the blue and white silks that were a prominent fixture at race meets across the globe, but later in September, Shadwell Stud announced that they would be seriously trimming back their operations and dispersing a majority stake of stock following his death.

This still left an interest in the American race market and back in July, Derrinstown’s Awtaad again proved himself a reliable stud, as daughter Anisette romped home in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar. The now Leonard Powell-trained novice impressed everyone when up against fellow talented three-year-old fillies with graded stakes form, yet still managed to power clear by an increasing two-and-a-half lengths to more than justify her pre-race odds of 2/1 favourite. Whilst those odds may drop a little if the group now moves her up to Grade 1 race events, as most now think will happen, for those who like a flutter on their horses, her potential suggests she is very much one to watch, and one to put a small stake on if you feel the need.

Moving back to Shadwell as a whole, instead, they would focus in on key strategic objectives in an effort to maximise a much smaller foot print moving forward. Their statement explained that they were “undertaking a full review of all its activities that will result in important changes for the business. As a result its operations in the UK, Ireland, and the USA will contract, with a focus on quality and competition at the highest level of the sport.”

Plenty of racing commentators had their own thoughts on whether or not this was a sensible business move by the group as they moved forward, but they were clearly staying in the major markets that they were well versed in – but the sticking point was always going to be: could you have greater success with fewer assets?

As per Horse Bet, with a mind to the British racing market in particular, Sheikh Hamdan’s daughter Sheikha Hissa took on the reins under their new, much tighter, business plan, and whilst it has not yet been replicated in other global race markets, their endeavours in Britain are certainly coming to fruition.

The Shadwell group have now taken eleven wins from 21 races – representing an astonishing 52% success rate – as they focus on quality and calibre of horse, as well as racing competition at the highest level. Their success rate may well be increasing as the current Goodwood series of events continues.

But for the United States market, it again shows the Shadwell group of companies and their connections are determined to make an impact, even if they have scaled back their overall bulk.

This season, sires Anmaat and Diamil have already tasted success and Anisette is the latest in Awtaad’s bloodline to make the headlines, and with nine individual stake winners to his name, he is proving himself to be one of the best value sires in Europe at a ridiculous price of just 5,000 Euros.

*Featured/Spotlights, Horse Racing, Racing

US Horse Racing Top 4 Betting Events

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Interest in horse racing in the United States has never been higher, with increased media coverage helping to promote the sport to a much wider audience in recent years.

Nowhere is that point better highlighted than in the United Kingdom, where Sky Sports Racing broadcasts live action from the US on a daily basis. This has created a scenario where the top-class races in the US now attract significantly more international entries, thus boosting the quality of the action.

Read on as we take a look at the four standout events in the US racing calendar – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders’ Cup.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses held over 10 furlongs at Churchill Downs in early May. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown alongside the Preakness and Belmont, and generally attracts a field of 20 runners.

Horses can qualify for the event by accumulating points in a series of 35 races dubbed the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’, which take place at tracks across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Often called the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports’, the Derby regularly attracts more than 150,000 spectators to Churchill annually.

Preakness Stakes

Run over a slightly shorter distance of one and 3/16 of a mile, the Preakness Stakes is staged at Pimlico Racecourse on the third Saturday in May each year.

Attendance at the Preakness Stakes usually beats all other stakes races including the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Kentucky Oaks. The only exception to this is the Kentucky Derby, which often attracts over 20,000 more spectators when it is staged earlier in the month.

Notable past winners of the Preakness include Secretariat, Affirmed, and American Pharoah, each of whom went on to complete the Triple Crown.

Belmont Stakes

Traditionally the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes is run at Belmont Park on the first or second Saturday in June. Run over one and a half miles, the race is widely viewed as the event which determines the best middle-distance horse in the US, according to the horse racing betting guide.

The most famous winner of the race was Secretariat, whose winning time 2:24.00 remains a track and world record for the distance on dirt.

Justify’s stunning victory under jockey Mike Smith in the 150th running of the race in 2018 saw him become the 13th Triple Crown champion.

The Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is a series of Grade I thoroughbred races staged annually at different tracks in the US or Canada. It was initially a single-day event, before expanding into a second day in 2007 due to the enormous global interest in the meeting.

The Breeders’ Cup kicks off with Future Stars Friday, which comprises five top-class juvenile races featuring racing’s brightest rising stars. Championship Saturday is one of the richest days in racing, culminating with the hugely prestigious $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

More on Metro, OTTBs, Racehorses at AHorseBlog.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Horse Racing, Racing

Horseracing Series 2021

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2021 has been another huge year for the horse racing industry worldwide. While many great events took place, the two main series in the United States were the Triple Crown in the spring and the Breeders’ Cup in the fall.

The Triple Crown

The Triple Crown began in May, making it one of the two most important months on the horse racing schedule. Online horse betting has reached a peak, including many options for betting on the go using horse betting apps such as these: https://horse-betting.pro/guides/best-horse-betting-apps/.

The Triple Crown series of races are traditionally run in May and early June of each year, although global events have resulted in schedule adjustments, such as in 1945 and 2020.

On the first Saturday of the month of May, and the first of the Triple Crown series, the legendary Kentucky Derby takes place at a distance of a mile and a quarter. With a purse of some $3 million and a huge worldwide following, the Derby is one of the top horse events on the planet.  Thunderous applause can be heard from afar during the Kentucky Derby at the gorgeous Churchill Downs (Kentucky).

It is dubbed “The Run for the Roses,” stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner, and in the United States it is also known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because of its approximate duration. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes.

Three weeks after the Derby comes the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland with a distance of 9.5 furlongs (1+3⁄16 miles (1,900 m)) on dirt. It has been dubbed “The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.”

The Preakness Stakes has also been termed “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” because a blanket of Maryland’s state flower is placed across the withers of the winning colt or filly. Attendance at the Preakness Stakes ranks second in North America among equestrian events, surpassed only by the Kentucky Derby.

An interesting history of the Preakness is that Pimlico officially opened October 25, 1870 with the colt Preakness winning the first running of the Dinner Party Stakes. Approximately 12,000 people attended, many taking special race trains arranged by the Northern Central Railway. Three years later the horse had the 1873 Preakness Stakes named in his honor.

The final leg in the American Triple Crown, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds, is the Belmont Stakes, known by the nicknames “The Test of the Champion”/”The Run for the Carnations”/”The Third Jewel of the Triple Crown.”  The Belmont Stakes takes place on the first Saturday in June in Elmont (an unincorporated hamlet), New York.

When run at 1+1⁄2 miles, the Belmont Stakes covers one full lap of Belmont Park, known as “The Championship Track,” because nearly every major American champion in racing history has competed on the racetrack. Despite the distance, the race tends to favor horses with tactical speed: relatively few winners close from far behind the early leaders.

The 2021 Belmont Stakes was the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes and the 110th time the event took place at Belmont Park. It is the final race of the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown has come to represent the pinnacle achievement in horseracing. In its history, only 13 horses have won all three races; two of them are still alive.

The Breeders Cup World Championships

Ending at one finish line is the of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races held on the first weekend of November.  These races are operated by Breeders’ Cup Limited, and in 2021, The Breeders’ Cup will return to another iconic racing venue: Del Mar, where the turf meets the surf Southern California style.

The event was created as a year-end championship for North American Thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe.

With the current 2021 year having $31 million in purses and awards, every horse, jockey, trainer, and owner around the world has this two-day, 14-race, year-end culmination of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in their sights.

Many Breeders’ Cup winners will go on to win the Eclipse Award in their respective division. For example, of the eleven flat racehorse categories, seven of the Eclipse winners in 2015 had also won a Breeders’ Cup race, while three others were in the money.

The Breeders’ Cup Championship Saturday is one of the richest days in racing awarding over $22 million in purses and awards over 9 races, culminating in the defining event of the international racing season, the $6 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

More on Metro, OTTBs, Racehorses at AHorseBlog.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Horse Racing, Racing

The 2021 Grand National

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2011 Grand National. RacingKel.

0As a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England, The Grand National was first run in 1839. It is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs (4 miles 514 yards), with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. The 2020 Grand National was cancelled for the first time since WW2 due to Covid-19.

The Grand National is the most valuable jump race in Europe. Get the best Grand National tips, take the best odds and ante post outlook for April 2021. With Grand National odds on offer all-year-round, the modern-day punter has the opportunity to try one’s luck on the world’s greatest steeplechase at all stages through the year.

Top Six Grand National 2021 Favourites are:

  1. Tiger Roll – Winner of the 2018 and 2019 Grand Nationals and became the first ‘back-to-back’ winner since Red Rum in the 1970s.
  2. Burrows Saint – Won the 2019 Irish Grand National so have a pedigree in these races. Still young so has time on his side.
  3. Any Second Now – Winner of the Kim Muir Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. A faller in the 2019 Irish National but was running well at the time.
  4. Presenting Percy – Joined trainer G. Elliott’s stable earlier this year, and soon after came back on top in style at Thurles in November 2020.
  5. Santini – A classy staying chaser that was a close runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2020. Would probably have that race as a target again this season, but there has been some small talk of a National bid.
  6. Kimberlite Candy – Laid down some claims of Grand National success to come with a fine victory in the Classic Chase at Warwick. Ground conditions are likely going to be the dictating factor when deciding on an Aintree return.

Previously we have had Rule the World at huge odds of 50-1 in 2016, Pineau De Re at 33-1 in 2014, and Neptune Collonges at 40-1 in 2012.

Experience counts in the Grand National and 20 of the last 26 winners were aged either 9, 10, or 11. In that period there have also been four eight-year-old and two twelve-year-old winners.

The festival always starts with Grand Opening Day renamed to Liverpool’s NHS Day (renamed to honour the work of dedicated NHS staff) on Thursday, Aintree Ladies’ Day on Friday, then Saturday’s Grand National Day. The next Grand National three-day meeting will run between Thursday 8th April to Saturday 10th April 2021, with the Grand National always staged on the final day – in 2021 this will be on 10th April.

Liverpool’s NHS Day, formerly known as Grand Opening Day, traditionally features four Grade One contests, including the Betfred Bowl and Betway Aintree Hurdle.

One of the most glamorous days of the sporting calendar is Aintree Ladies’ Day which has become one of the most revered days of the season, not only for the action on the course but also for its finery and luxury.

Three Grade One races including the JLT Melling Chase and Mildmay Novices’ Chase are the highlight of the day, while the Topham Chase allows fans to see horses take on the Grand National fences over a shorter two-and-a-half miles.

Then comes Grand National Day on Saturday, which is the highlight of the festival.

Randox has agreed to a five-year extension to its current sponsorship of the Grand National meeting at Aintree. The new agreement will run from 2022-2026 and follow on from the initial five-year contract which runs until next year.

As well as being the headline sponsor of the festival, Randox will lend its name to the three races over the Grand National fences at the fixture – the Randox Foxhunters Chase, the Randox Topham Chase, and the big one itself, the Randox Grand National.

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